Sixteen Candles and a Bottle of Rum
by Emily S
Summary: It's Elizabeth's sixteenth birthday. She is hoping for a perfect evening, but what will happen when her pursuers decide to have a little fun with a certain Will Turner? FINAL CHAPTER UP!
1. Chapter 1

"Oh, please Daddy? It's _my_ party!" Elizabeth Swann cried to her father. Today was her sixteenth birthday and tonight was her party that she was not looking forward to.

"I just don't think he would fit in with the company," Governor Swann said, trying to reason with his daughter. She had grown into a fine young woman with reddish hair and a tall stature. Like her mother, there was no reasoning with her.

"But I'm not going to know anyone there!" she whined. Crossing her arms, she sat in the chair in front of her father's desk. She was not moving until he agreed to her request.

"You will know plenty of people there! There's the baron and baroness, Captain Norrington…"

"I don't like those people!"

"Elizabeth, they are fabulous connections! I don't think you understand what the party can do for you! Many families are bringing their sons and I encourage you to mingle with them. One may be your future husband," he said with a tone of annoyance. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She had no desire whatsoever to "mingle" with these people. There was only one person she wanted there. He was her best friend, after all.

"William would do fine here, father. He's met this caliber of people before. It's not like he's a common peasant," she said. Of course, she was speaking of William Turner. Nearly five years ago, they had pulled him from the ocean on their way from England to Port Royal, Jamaica. He was an apprentice at the blacksmith's.

"I know, I know… dear, I just don't think it's a wise choice," the Governor said, hoping he had ended the argument. It wasn't that he didn't like Will Turner, it was the fact that he knew at the back of his mind that his daughter fancied him. He couldn't have his daughter marrying a common blacksmith.

Elizabeth knew how to work her father. Right now, he probably thought he had won the fight but he was far from correct. Being his only child and the only woman in his life, she had a hold on him, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Outside his father's open doors, she saw some of the very important guests that were invited to her party tonight. They were staying at the fort. It was the perfect moment for a tantrum.

"I can't believe you! This is the one thing that would make me happy and you won't oblige? I only want to invite a friend, but you find him too lowly to even be in your presence! I thought you were better than that!" she screamed. The people outside stopped and stared into the room. Elizabeth had turned on the water works and was having an all out fit. Everything was going to plan.

"Oh, Elizabeth dear, don't cry. Why don't you go down to the shop and invite William to come tonight? If that's what you really want," he said, standing up from behind his desk and hugging his daughter. He hoped the baron and baroness hadn't thought anything of the scene that had just taken place.

Elizabeth smiled as she left the room and hurried down to Mr. Brown's blacksmith shop to find Will, an invitation tucked into her bodice.


	2. Chapter 2

Will Turner sat in Mr. Brown's blacksmith shop, peering out the window. Mr. Brown was passed out in the corner with a bottle of rum in one hand and an unfinished sword in the other. He pressed his forehead to the glass. Today was Elizabeth's birthday and he was hoping to make a trip to the fort and see her. Every time he thought of this, he was forced to remember that they were no longer children. She more important than he was.

There was a finished saber hanging on the wall. He wasn't sure who it was for, but he had an urge to practice his swordsmanship. He strutted to the shelf and carefully lifted it off. It was perfectly balanced and was made for dueling. Twisting it over and over, he found himself contemplating how on earth a drunk like Mr. Brown could possibly make something that beautiful.

Will found his center and began doing simple footwork that a solider had taught him. The family that watched over him couldn't afford formal lessons so he asked soldiers for help every now and then. Most were more than willing to show their talents.

While he maneuvered around the room, he thought a lot about Elizabeth. In some ways, it made him angry. Why hadn't he received an invitation to her party tonight? It seemed like half the town was invited. They had been so close since they first came to Port Royal. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Elizabeth didn't really care about him. This thought brought an angry flush to his cheeks and he threw his sword towards the door. There was a yelp and he turned to see none other than Elizabeth Swann herself standing within inches of where his saber was stuck in the wall.

"Elizabeth! Are you alright?" he said with concern as he ran towards the door. She was smiling at him and he forgot the anger he had felt just moments ago. Now he just felt like jelly.

"So what brings you down here at this time in the afternoon? Don't you have a party to get ready for?" Will said with a little more hurt in his voice than he would have wanted. A sad smile curved the edge of Elizabeth's mouth.

"Here Will," she said, handing him an invitation. "I'm sorry it took so long. My father wasn't into the idea and it took me a while to persuade him. Sorry it's such short notice."

Will took the invitation from her hand and looked at the looped writing on the front. He felt a blush touch to his cheeks when it occurred to him that she had thought about him while writing what this letter.

"Will, are you ok? Have I got something on my face?"

Will snapped out of his daydream and realized that he had been staring at her with his mouth open slightly. He straightened himself up and put the invitation into his coat pocket.

"No, sorry. Must have dozed off. I would be delighted to attend," he said. Right now more than ever, he cursed the black stains on his face and clothes. He looked like a peasant compared to Elizabeth's pristine appearance. She looked so out of place in a blacksmith's shop.

"I look forward to seeing you tonight, Mr. Turner," she said, turning and exiting from the shot.

"And I you, Ms. Swann," Will said when he knew she was out of range. He pulled the envelope from inside his jacket and breathed in its scent. It smelled just like her: vanilla mixed with a hint of lavender.

He opened the letter very carefully for fear that any tears would ruin this moment and he would wake up from this dream. On the parchment was a letter.

_William,_

_On this day, the twenty-fifth of May, your presence is requested at my sixteenth birthday party at the fort of Port Royal, Jamaica at promptly six o'clock in the evening._

_Truly Yours,_

_Ms. Elizabeth Swann_

Will read and reread the letter until he had it memorized. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already four o'clock! He needed to get ready if he was going to be there at six. He walked to the desk and scribbled a note to Mr. Brown and headed towards home. Then he realized…

He didn't have anything to wear!


	3. Chapter 3

Will ran home to find his guardian, Mrs. Swank, sitting on the front porch sewing. He hurried over to her and shoved the note in her face. He was lucky that she was a patient woman. She read the short note and then glanced at him with concern.

"William, what will you wear?" she asked. Honestly, this woman could have been his mother.

"I don't know. That's why I'm worried," he said. Mrs. Swank rose from her rocking chair.

"Follow me, William. The seamstress owes me a favor. I think she has a lovely ensemble that it just your size," she said, grabbing his wrist. He was almost in shock that this problem had been so easily solved.

Mrs. Weatherby's shop was just down the street. It was a small stone building with a large window in the front. A golden wedding dress was displayed in it. Will never paid much attention to dresses unless Elizabeth was in them, but this one seemed to have been made from pure gold.

Mrs. Weatherby was a plump woman with graying hair and small glasses that sat on the very end of her nose. Will thought she was rather curious looking with her beady eyes.

"Aw, Joan! And Will! What brings you to my shop today?" she asked, rubbing her porky hands together. Mrs. Swank put her arm around his shoulders.

"Well, I'm here about that favor you owe me, Poppy. You see, Will was invited to a party for the governor's daughter this evening and we need something a little dressier," she said. Poppy's eyes squinted and her disposition changed almost immediately.

"Very well. Come to the back, boy. I think I have something that will fit just lovely," she said. Will looked to Mrs. Swank with a scared expression. She pushed him after her.

Poppy led him to a back room where there was a large assortment of garments hanging on racks. There was a wide range of colors and styles to choose from. Not sure what to do Will stood in the entrance to the room while Mrs. Weatherby searched for what she wanted. Finally, she turned back to where he was standing. Without a word to him, she grabbed his arm and shoved him behind a dressing screen.

Will looked at what she had given him. There was a light blue vest made of silk that had a darker blue pattern running through it, a pair of tan pants, a white shirt and a dark blue scarf. He had never worn something made of silk before and he was very excited as he undressed and began putting everything on. He had just put on his pants when Mrs. Weatherby moved the screen.

"Are you done yet?" she said in an irritated voice. Will covered his chest with the shirt he was putting on and shook his head. The old woman glared at him and he heard the door to the back room close. He breathed a sigh of relief.

As he put on the rest of the clothes, he could tell that they fit perfectly. Everything was hitting him in all the right places without being to tight. When he was finished, he walked to the front of the store where Mrs. Swank was arguing with Mrs. Weatherby. They stopped when they saw him.

"Oh Will! You look amazing! We'll take it, Poppy. No alterations needed," Mrs. Swank said. Will looked in the mirror that was set up. He did look quite snazzy. All he needed to do was bathe and slick his hair back and he could pass for royalty.

"Alright. Will you just be wearing it out?" Poppy asked. Will turned to Mrs. Swank, who nodded.

"If you could do us a favor and bring his other clothes back to the house tonight, it would be greatly appreciated. Will needs to finish getting ready. Thanks again, Poppy!"

"Don't mention it," she said through gritted teeth. Will bowed to her as he left and swore he heard her swearing the second they left the shop.

It was five minutes before they were back in the house and Mrs. Swank was filling the basin for Will to wash himself.

"Take off those things and try not to get them dirty. I'll go fetch some stockings and shoes and when I get back we'll do your hair. I would hurry, Will, you only have an hour," she said. Will began stripping down and put his clothes neatly over the back of a nearby chair. He took the rag from the basin and began rubbing the black soot off his skin. Every five minutes, he was glancing at the clock. He didn't want to miss Elizabeth's entrance.


	4. Chapter 4

There was still half an hour before her party and Elizabeth was starting to get nervous. Was Will mad at her because she hadn't invited him earlier? Would he even show up? She began biting her finger nails and was scolded by one of her servants.

"Miss, you're going to have a great time tonight," the girl doing her hair said to her. Elizabeth doubted this if Will wasn't going to be there.

"I have the feeling you are. I've seen some of the young men here. They are quite handsome," commented the woman fixing her dress. Elizabeth didn't care how handsome they were. They were nothing compared to Will.

"Yes, I imagine they are," she said in a bored tone.

"What about William Turner? You're always trying to run into him when we go to town," asked the daughter of one of the maids. She was only four. Elizabeth smiled.

"Yes, he is a nice boy. Hopefully you can marry someone like that someday, Jessie," she said to the little girl, who smiled gleefully.

"Are you going to marry him, Miss?" she asked. All the work in her room stopped. Thank goodness she was saved when her father walked into her room.

"You all are dismissed. I would like a word with my daughter," he said. The ladies stood up and left the room and her father took a seat on her bed. She could sense one of those father-daughter moments.

"Elizabeth, you are becoming a fine young woman. This party tonight could be the beginning of the rest of your life," he said in a meaningful tone. Elizabeth smiled and didn't say anything so he would keep talking. The faster he talked, the sooner she could see Will.

"I know we haven't talked about it much, but you are almost of the age where you should be considering marriage. It's not a topic you like to discuss, but it has to be. There are some fine young men here tonight-,"

"I know, Father. I'm going to keep my eyes open and mingle like a good governors daughter. But I ask you please, don't force me into anything I'm not ready for?" she asked. Her fathers gaze softened and he smiled at her.

"Of course love, I would never make you do anything you didn't want to. Are you ready?" he asked. It was time for her big entrance down the grand staircase. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Standing up, she took her fathers arm

"Alright, Daddy, I'm ready," she said. She held her chin high and could have sworn she saw a tear escape her father's eye. Every time she got dressed up like this, he got emotional. He had never told her, but she knew that she reminded him of her mother. It was times like this that she wished she was still here.

Governor Swann sent one of the servants to alert the musicians to stop playing. Then, the butler stepped in front of them. All eyes in the room were fixated on the stairs, awaiting the guest of honor.

"Presenting, Governor Swann and his daughter, Ms. Elizabeth Swann," he said, before turning and walking off the side. Elizabeth painted on her smile as she walked slowly down the stairs to the polite applause of the group. Half of these people she didn't know. There were a few familiar faces. Then, she saw the one she had been searching for.

Will was standing by one of the doors looking very, very handsome. She wasn't sure she had ever seen him look so dashing. The black smudges were cleaned off his face and his clothes were even cleaned. In fact, she wasn't sure she had ever seen him in the clothes he was wearing.

There eyes met for a brief, fleeting moment before she was whisked away by her father to mingle with the other more "important" guests. With her painted on smile, she began her rounds around the room and tried to find an excuse to get away and find Will.

It was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

When Elizabeth had stepped down the stairs, it took his breath away. She looked beautiful tonight and glowed from wherever she was in the room. He looked down at the glass of wine in his hand and sighed. Maybe tonight wasn't going to be like he had hoped…

There was an echoing crash by the kitchens that made the whole room silence. Will began to maneuver through the crowd until he could see what was going on.

"Out! Out, you bloody scoundrel!" shouted an old woman. Two soldiers were holding a rather disheveled looking man by each arm. He was dressed rather funny and Will knew immediately that he had not been invited.

"Come on, love, I only wanted a spot of rum," said the man. The woman raised the broom that was in her hand and he ducked behind the soldiers. They made a move to grab him but he drew his sword. Instinctively, Will grabbed for the saber that hung at his waist, but it wasn't there. All he could do was watch.

The man had reached back and grab two of the fine bottles of rum from a shelf, not once turning his sword from the crowd. Whispers had started about who this man really was.

"Ladies and gentleman, today is the day you will always remember as the day that you _almost_ stopped Captain Jack Sparrow from crashing your party! Ta ta, gents," he said to the soldiers. He turned and ran. The soldiers weren't quick enough to catch him before he jumped out the window.

"Captain Norrington, should we go after him?" they asked.

"No boys, I don't think it will put a damper on the spirits if there are two bottles of rum missing," said a man in a captains uniform. Will knew him form the day he had come to Port Royal. He didn't fancy him much.

With the crazy man gone, the party was back in full swing. Will had tried to get a chance to talk to Elizabeth alone but she was constantly surrounded by people. With another sigh, he took a swig of his wine.

Not far off from where he stood, there was a group of boys who were close to Will's age. Many had their heart set on marrying Elizabeth. They were sipping their wine and talking amongst themselves.

"So Louie, have you talked to her yet?" asked Carter, the son of the baron and baroness. He, of course, was referring to Elizabeth.

"Not personally, but my mother has been chatting with her for some time," Louie said.

"I had a rather engaging conversation with her," boasted Mac, the son of a noble from a neighboring island.

"What about?" asked Louie.

"Well, I told her about my plans to join the King's navy. She thought it was lovely. I bet she love's navy men," he said, his chest puffing out.

"Oh please, she's around men in the navy all the time. I had a fantastic conversation with her about how my family is planning on expanding our estate. I even invited her for a visit," said Carter.

"What did she say!" asked the other boys in the group. They were all around the age of seventeen. Carter was the oldest, at eighteen, and was the leader of the group.

"She said she would be delighted. Said it would be lovely," he said. The other boys in the group gasped and began whispering amongst themselves. Carter was pretty satisfied with this reaction.

"Who is that over there?" asked one of the younger boys. He pointed at Will and they all turned in his direction. Carter made a noise and the other boys turned towards him.

"That's Will Turner. I've been hearing about him all night. He's a blacksmith in town."

"Then what is he doing here?" Louie asked with a bit of anger in his voice.

"He's here on personal invitation," said Carter. "From Elizabeth," he added for the dramatic affect. This got a huge rise out of the group.

"This isn't right!"

"He's not good enough for her!"

"Boys, boys, I know what you're saying. Everyone in this room knows he's not good enough for her. Maybe it's just _her_ we need to prove it to," said Carter with a sly smile. "Shall we?" he said. The boys followed him to where Will was standing.

"Hello, chap. Don't think we've met. The name's Carter McLeod. Who might you be?" he said, offering Will his hand.

"William Turner," he said. Will was shocked that people were actually speaking to him and being rather friendly.

"Well hello, Will. Can I call you Will? Splendid. Would you like to come along with us to the courtyard?" he asked. Will didn't feel that this was the place to decline so he politely followed the group of young men.

They walked outside to a deserted area of the backyard. Will didn't know what they were doing out here, but he didn't like it. Carter was searching for something behind a stack of crates.

"Aha! Here they are," he said, producing two bottles of amber liquid. Will's eye's widened. It was rum. "Drink up, boys," he said, taking a swig and passing it to the boy next to him. Will knew this was wrong. Only men of eighteen were allowed to drink rum. Finally, the bottle reached him.

"This is wrong," he said, declining the bottle.

"Aw, come on, man! I'm eighteen. It's not like we're going to get caught. Everyone is inside," said Carter, pressing the bottle back into Will's hand. Will looked from it to the faces of the other boys. They had all drank it. One drink couldn't hurt, right?


	6. Chapter 6

Elizabeth had finally managed to escape the clutches of her guests for a moments peace. She had hoped to find Will, but he was nowhere to be seen. So far, she had walked around the ballroom three times and there was no sign of him.

Nobody seemed to know where he went. Elizabeth was determined to find him so she excused herself from the room and went outside of the house and into the backyard. She heard laughing and singing coming from around the corner of the house by the kitchens. While she followed the sound, angry thoughts flashed through her mind. She hated drunks, and drinking, and people who let themselves stoop to that level.

She saw a group of young men standing in a circle and singing a song that Elizabeth couldn't understand. They were swaying from side to side and there was the heavy stench of rum in the air. A few of them she recognized from her party. There was Carter, Louie, Mac, and…

"WILLIAM TURNER!" she shouted. This made the group stop their singing and look over to who it was that was disrupting their good time. Will looked over and staggered over to where she stood and put an arm around her shoulders. He reeked of alcohol.

"'lizabeth! You're looking pretty tonight," he said. He started to fall over onto her. He spilt some of the rum from his bottle. Elizabeth was completely disgusted.

"Will, what's wrong with you?" she said.

"Oh, we're just having a bit of fun, right boys?" he said. The group raised their bottles. Will turned back to her. "How 'bout a kiss, lovely?" he said, drunkenly trying to move his lips towards hers. She pushed him away, causing him to stumble backwards.

"For goodness sakes, Will! You're drunk!" she said. Will was so against drinking. He had sworn to never drink until he was of age. Elizabeth was shocked at this behavior.

"No need to be difficult, love. I've always fancied you, you know," he said, making another move towards her. She had barely dodged his hand. He did, however, managed to grab the front of her dress and rip it down the front. Elizabeth covered herself and slapped him across the face. This was not Will… not Will at all.

She turned from the group and ran towards the house. She poked her into the kitchen where she saw Rufus, the butler.

"Rufus! Come here!" she said. He turned around and saw her current state. There was a look of concern on his face.

"Miss Swann! What happened?" he asked.

"No time to explain. Listen, Will is drunk. He can't go home or Mr. Swank will beat him for it. I need you to prepare a basin with warm water and fetch me some extra blankets. Put them in my room. I'll be up there in five minutes."

"Miss Swann! I can't let you take a man to your room!" he said in a loud whisper.

"That is a direct order, Rufus. All of the other rooms are full. We don't have a choice. I'll be up there in five minutes," she said.

Elizabeth ran back to where the boys were still happily drinking. She grabbed Will by the wrist and began to drag him towards the back staircase. This was not without protest from him, of course.

"What are you doin'? Let me go!" he shouted. Elizabeth put a hand over his mouth and he pulled it away. He stumbled forward and Elizabeth caught him around the middle. What had those boys done to him?

"Will, be quiet. People will hear you," she said, trying to be gentle. All of the sudden, Will started gagging and his back heaved under her wait. He vomited on the ground at the foot of the stairs. The stench was almost unbearable.

"Oh my God, Elizabeth," he said, almost normally.

"It's ok, Will. Just be quiet and follow me," she said, helping him to his feet. He put a lot of his weight on her and it was a difficult trek up the stairs. Will threw up on himself one more time before they reached the landing. Elizabeth had to hold her breath until they got to her room.

Rufus was waiting for them when they opened the door. He was fixing a bed on the hard, wood floor. Her basin was filled with steaming water and a sponge was floating neatly on top. He looked at the pair of them with disgust.

"Will this be all, Miss?" he asked.

"I need a sleeping gown from my Father's room. Not a word of this to anyone, Rufus," she added hastily. If this got out to the public, Will would probably be killed and she would be shut out from the family. It was a terrible shame to bring a man into your room before marriage.

"As you wish, Miss," he said, exiting the room and going off down the hall. Will stirred from his trance.

"Where am I?" he asked. Elizabeth lowered him onto a chair that was close by. Since he had thrown up, he had turned into slightly more of a gentleman.

"You're up in my room. Stay quiet, no one can find us," she said. She reached out and began to unbutton his vest. He smacked her hand away.

"I can do it myself!" he said groggily. He began to take off his soiled clothes and toss them aside. He went for the clasp on his pants, but Elizabeth stopped him.

"That's enough," she said quickly. Will could wash himself down there.

She dipped the sponge into the hot, soapy water. Will was more pale than usual and even seemed more skinny. She rung out the extra water and began scrubbing his chest. Elizabeth couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor boy. He hadn't known what he was getting into.

Without warning, he stood up and staggered to the balcony off her room. He leaned in the doorway and stared. Elizabeth scolded herself for staring at the muscles in his back so closely. His hair was blowing in the cool, night air. Without thinking, she followed him.

"Look at all the ships down there," he said when she was standing right behind him. "I don't think I've ever told you much about my father, have I 'Lizabeth? He was a merchant sailor. Left England before I ever got to know him. He's the reason I came on that ship that wrecked the day you found me. After my mother died, I went searching for him. Never had any luck," he said. Elizabeth could have sworn he was crying.

"Elizabeth, run away with me," he said, turning around. She just stood there, staring at him.

"Will, you know I can't leave here," she said. He grabbed her by the arm and staggered forward, pulling him with her.

"Look at the sea, Elizabeth! That could all be ours. We'll travel the world together, just me and you. What do you say?" he said, grabbing her shoulders and gazing into her eyes. There was a wild excitement there that she had never seen.

"I can't. I have duties here," she said, smiling. Will had gone from an obnoxious drunk to a crazy drunk in less than fifteen minutes. His face fell and he staggered back into her room and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Will, I think you need to get some sleep," she said. Rufus had just come into the room and dropped off the sleeping gown she had requested. He nodded and rubbed his eyes.

She stood up and walked across the room to pick up his clothes off the floor and grab something fresh for him to sleep in. When she turned around, Will was already passed out on top of her comforter. It seemed a shame to wake him after what he had been through tonight, so she let him sleep and readied herself for a night of rest on the floor.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Will stirred from his sleep. His head was throbbing and the sunlight coming in from the windows hurt his eyes. He was not in his own bed. His bed didn't smell like lavender and vanilla. This thought made him sit straight up.

What was he doing in Elizabeth's bedroom? How had be gotten here? What had he done? Where was she?

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind at once. In a pile on the floor were the clothes he had worn the night before. Hanging over the dressing screen was her dress. His clothes reeked of vomit and rum. Her dress was ripped down the front. What on earth had happened?

Will began to panic and started pacing the room. He was shirtless. He couldn't remember anything up until the point when he had gone out back with Carter and the other boys. Then, the door opened.

"Good afternoon, Will. Feeling better?" asked Elizabeth. She was carrying a tray with sandwiches and behind her was a maid carrying a jug of juice. He rubbed his eyes.

"Um, Elizabeth, what am I doing here?" he asked. Elizabeth sighed and dismissed the maid.

"You were drunk last night, Will," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking a sandwich. Will couldn't believe his ears and sat next to her on the bed.

"What happened?"

"Carter and a few of the other boys thought it would be fun to have a drink. They dragged you into it thinking it would be funny. I'm so sorry, Will," she said. Will took her hand.

"Elizabeth, it's not your fault. It's mine. But what am I doing in your room?" he said, changing the subject.

"I couldn't let you go home. You know how against drinking Mr. Swank is. He would have beaten you senseless if you came home drunk. All the other rooms were full. I didn't see any other option."

"We didn't… you know… did we?" he asked with a scared expression. Elizabeth laughed.

"No, I slept on the floor. Nobody knows you're up here except Rufus and Sarah," she said. Will breathed a sigh of relief. Elizabeth stood up and started walking towards the door. "I need to go take care of some business. I'll be up here soon. Don't leave, whatever you do," she added when she closed the door behind her.

Most of the guests were leaving and the house was in a state of chaos after last night. Elizabeth was searching for one group in particular. Then, she saw his blonde head above the crowd.

"Carter! May I have a word?" she shouted. Carter turned to who was calling his name and smiled when he saw her face. He strutted over to her. "Can we go somewhere private?"

"Of course, dear, whatever you say," he said. Elizabeth flinched when he called her "dear".

Elizabeth took him to a secluded area outside the front of the house. There was no one around but a few coaches and their drivers. They started walking down the lane to a small garden was situated. When they were well out of earshot, Elizabeth turned on Carter, raised her hand, and slapped him across the face. He made a startled noise and touched where his cheek burned.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" he shouted.

"You foul creature! How _dare_ you do something like that to poor Will! You knew he was underage! I have half a mind to tell your mother and father what you were up to last night! You are positively the _worst_ boy I have ever met!" she shouted at him. She had never lost her temper quite like this. Carter was just staring at her, his hand still on the spot where she had slapped him. She turned and started walking away.

"Oh, and another thing! I don't bloody care about your stupid estate!" she yelled over her shoulder at him. She started walking back to the house, breathing heavily. She was awfully proud of herself.

When she reached the house, she received looks from people. She had left with Carter, but where was he now? She just smiled at her own private joke.

Will was still right where she had left him when she reached her room. He was dressed in some of his normal clothes that his friend Chris had brought from their house. He was still pacing and when she opened the door, he was quite startled.

"It's ok, Will. It's just me," she said. He relaxed and walked towards her.

"I better get going. Mister and Misses Swank will be wondering where I've been," he said. There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

"Sarah and Rufus have secured this hallway. You should be able to leave undetected. I sent a letter to your guardians saying that you stayed at Chris's house last night. Everything should be normal," she said.

"Well… bye then. Thanks for your help, Elizabeth. I owe you my life," he said, bowing and leaving the room. Elizabeth waved after him and ran to her balcony. It was a few moments before she saw him leaving the grounds safely. She breathed a sigh of relief. Last night was definitely a birthday that would never be forgotten.


End file.
